


The Faust Act

by MelancholyLyra



Series: The Faust Act [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Romance, Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:54:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24740365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelancholyLyra/pseuds/MelancholyLyra
Summary: (Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)Aurora Laurel, a wealthy pureblood, must balance her destiny and her duties as she discovers a deep secret about herself that must be hidden from everyone at all costs.As paranoia settled in and she feared for the people she loved, she happened to fall into the arms of the least expected person.  Rory knows that no matter how much she cared for him that Draco Malfoy had the capability to hurt everyone she loved.   However, there is no room for mistakes, and now Rory must determine where he lies in her life.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Original Female Character(s), Cho Chang/Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang/Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Faust Act [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815475
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	1. A New Start

SET DURING THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE: 1991 

  
  


_In the higher part of society in the wizarding world, there was a pureblood family named the Laurels._

_Each one of the Laurels seemed to be famous for something that made their allure seem more ethereal. There was mother, Emilee Laurel, an Auror known for her vast beauty, and the fact she could make someone drop and beg for mercy within a second. Father, Quincy Laurel, a world-renown curse breaker who had solved some of the world's greatest mysteries. The twins, Kari and Kassian. The girl was aloof but excelled at everything she set her mind to and was announced a young genius. The boy was following in their father's steps and had become his young apprentice._

_Then there was Aurora, the youngest girl. Or as she'd rather be called, Rory. Rory hadn't exactly done anything spectacular in her life yet. She wasn't exceedingly popular, and she didn’t have anything special about her. Her name wasn't whispered among the halls, and she wasn’t extremely intelligent or clever. She wasn't unnaturally gorgeous like her mother which would've been enough to make people adore her. Rory was unfortunately unremarkable._

_Lastly, there poor little Harvey Laurel who had died just a month earlier. Harvey had been attacked by a hippogriff, which Aurora had witnessed with her very eyes. Harvey was eight years old at the time, and even at that young age seemed to have had an aptitude for Magical Creatures. Rory and her younger brother had gone out to the woods to play when suddenly she heard his blood-curdling scream. As she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, she found the hippogriff at large, its wings spread wide enough so that Rory could not get closer. But she still saw her brother, crying and struggling to get away, and before Rory could realize what she did, the hippogriff looked up at her and flew away in a startled manner. She had done magic without realizing it._

_Rory saved her brother in time from the creature and had to carry him for miles as his blood stained her clothes and he cried loudly._

_Yes, she had saved him in time, but he died from blood loss in her arms as they arrived home._

_The day after, she received her Hogwarts letter._

_Today, was an important day. Today would be the day that the Sorting Hat would choose which house she'd be in, and give her a new family. A fresh slate. A chance to start over. Aurora bit her lip in anticipation as she followed a crowd of other unsorted first years. Would she be brave like Gryffindor, cunning like Slytherin, kind as a Hufflepuff, or wise like the Ravenclaws? She didn't know, and frankly, she didn't care. Her entire family had been Ravenclaws, but she knew even if she was sorted into another house that they wouldn't really care. Rory didn't believe she was good enough for any of the Hogwarts houses._

_A boy with white-blond hair and piercing grey eyes stood next to her, with a sort of mischievous smile on his face that her mother warned her to stay away from when it came to men. Something about him felt familiar, though she had never met him before._

_Rory shook his hand and announced herself. A few students turned around to gawk at her. The news of her brother's death still had not died down. Even with their wide eyes, Rory could see the pity they held within their gazes at her. They were young, and couldn't understand. She was sure most of them had never dealt with such an awful thing in their life, or seen death so young. She avoided their eyes and looked straight forward. She was already pretty wise beyond her years but watching Harvey die had broken something inside of her. Something that was easy to see just by looking into her eyes, and she didn't want anyone to pity her anymore._

_The grey eyed boy however, did not look at her in pity. For this, she was grateful for the boy, even if he did have something about him that scared her. “Draco Malfoy.” He said smugly, his voice was as smooth as the finest silk, but there was no warmth in his tone._

_“Aurora Laurel.” Rory did not yet feel comfortable with sharing her nickname with him, it was something people had to earn._

_"Laurel. One of the sacred twenty-eight?" He seemed pleased with her blood status. Rory felt herself flinch. Was he a pureblood supremacist? Did those actually exist still? “We should be friends, Aurora.”_

_"I'm flattered, but much better on my own I'm afraid."_

_"A shame. Do you know what house you'll be in?"_

_"Ravenclaw, I think." She told the boy, as he watched her with a feverish curiosity._

_"I assumed all purebloods would be in Slytherin." He noted. Then, Draco Malfoy's name is called up to the Sorting Hat. He's announced a Slytherin before it even touches his head. Later, she's called up. As the Sorting Hat was set down on her head, she stared directly at the floor. She couldn't meet the faces of the people who were staring at her so unabashedly._

_"Another Laurel. Professors, brace yourselves. This one will cause more trouble than her brother. Ravenclaw!" the hat announced, and people cheered so loud that she felt her ear drums beat to the timing of her heart which had decided to beat faster than it ever had throughout her life. Rory walked towards the Ravenclaw table, next to a girl named Luna Lovegood. She had chosen to sit next to her, because as she looked at her, she noticed Luna had the exact same broken gaze that Rory herself held. Luna understood Rory's pain, and Rory hoped that they could help each other._

_Rory looked back to Albus Dumbledore with a glance of uncertainty, and he gave her a knowing look._

_And her heart, still, would not slow._


	2. Opened Once

SET DURING GOBLET OF FIRE: 1994

Rory sat at the windowsill of their home library, staring out at the forest which her younger brother had been attacked in years earlier. It was three years ago, and she certainly had more than enough time to grieve, but she couldn't help feeling so glum on the anniversary of his death. 

It was around this time of year that she would be heading back to school, and  _ normally _ she would be happy, and  _ normally _ she'd be excited to go to Diagon Alley to pick up new stuff, but nothing in her family had ever been normal. This year would have been Harvey's first year at Hogwarts, and he definitely would have been sorted into Ravenclaw, but Harvey would never get to experience the Sorting Ceremony, or be yelled at by Snape simply for being from the Laurel family, or even get to taste the Butterbeer at Hogsmeade. 

As her head raced, one thought protruded louder than the other;  _ How could one day feel like absolute shit? _

Rory then realized that being in the library was just making her feel more depressed than usual. It used to be her favorite room, but every time she came in she was reminded of the day Harvey was scolded because he tore out papers from books in an attempt to make the perfect paper airplane. They made sure the house was fully stocked with paper ever since. Rory then stood up to leave the deserted room, but heard a meowing noise. Her cat, Osbourne, had taken her place at the windowsill and scratched at it in a determined manner. She opened the window, and with divine timing, an owl flew in with a letter. Rory mumbled to herself, wondering aloud whether it was her father and if he wouldn't make it back another year. However, as she opened the envelope she recognized the writing almost immediately.

_ Rory, _

_ I'm going to the Quidditch World Cup with my father and the Weasleys, can you believe it? Ireland vs Bulgaria, and this is bound to be a match that'll go down in history. We wanted to take you, but I know how things are this time of year for you with your family and didn't want to stress you out more. I miss you an awful lot and can’t wait to see you again next week. And my dad misses you as well (he says hi, and is asking when you'll come over again). _

_ I wish I could write more, but unfortunately, I have to get ready. I'll see you on the train. _

_ Best wishes, Cedric. _ __

Rory's heart fluttered inside her chest. Even in paper, Cedric Diggory had effects on her that seemed next to impossible. 

Cedric was a Hufflepuff boy, two years older than her, and her best friend. In her second year, some fifth-year Slytherins were bullying her for being a pureblood and hanging with Muggleborns, saying she was a blood traitor ought to just shag a muggle and get it over with if she was 'going off the path' and Cedric had bravely stood up for her and got them to bugger off. Rory was in awe of Cedric after that, and the two immediately became close. Cedric was a popular boy and just being friends with him gave her some renown, but she didn't care about the popularity which came along with it. All she could care about was  _ him _ .

Before she could write back to Cedric, a knock came at her door prompting her to hide the letter in a random book she had grabbed. Her family knew about her fancying Cedric, it was clear because of how much she talked about him and how much time they spent together. They hadn't known that the two were writing to each other, and though the letters were all innocent and friendly, her siblings already poked fun at her for being 'Diggory's pet' and she didn't need them thinking that they were love letters. Thankfully they were rarely home during the summers because of work.

Instead of either of her siblings waiting behind the door, there stood the house-elf, Daffy. "Mistress Emilee requests that everyone should go to the dining hall," Daffy said meekly. Even the elves were depressed this time of year. Rory smiled at Daffy and thanked him, asking if he was to eat with them. Daffy was flattered but said no, and that he would remain in the kitchen should they wish for more food. 

When Harvey was around, they had their own little table set up for the house-elves because he didn't like that they didn't help themselves to the food. He would cry, and that boy had a set of lungs on him like no other. Harvey was kind, in that way. But after he passed the elves put the table away and wouldn't eat. They were lucky to be fortunate enough to even have house-elves.

A sense of guilt overcame Aurora, and she left for the Dining Hall after a quick detour to her room to put the letter away safely. 

As she arrived, there was an atmosphere that seemed different than usual. The room seemed brighter, in both the physical and metaphorical sense, but nothing was different as far as she could tell. Her mother sat at the end of the table, dressed in all black, and a portrait of Harvey watched them from the wall, smiling sweetly. Smiling was perhaps a trait that none of the Laurels had gotten from the mother's side.

Emilee Laurel was stunning. Her face was completely untouched from signs of age, except for a furrowed brow, and she was paler than what seemed humanly possible. Not to mention her hair, which was dark and perfectly straight almost as if it was a crime for a single hair to disobey her. Her eyes were dark and stormy blue, always looking as if she were mad. All in all, she was a scary woman. A scary and gorgeous woman. Rory's dad had once told her that the Daily Prophet had announced her as one of the most beautiful witches of the century. 

"Amos Diggory wrote to me," Emilee said flatly.

Rory's blood went cold. Had something happened to Cedric?

Almost as if her mother could understand the blatant terror that ran through Rory's mind, she continued speaking. "A week ago. I'm only telling you this now. He asked me if you'd accompany them to the Quidditch World Cup, and I told him it was Harvey's death anniversary and requested that he didn't bring up the Quidditch World Cup because I knew you'd be torn between going or staying here. I am telling you this now, because of this." Emilee pushed a newspaper over to Rory and Rory stared at it in horror.

TERROR AT THE WORLD CUP

Rory couldn't form words in her mouth, her mind felt crowded as she scanned the newspaper quickly. Death Eaters. Had they hurt Cedric and Amos? Would she never see Cedric again? She didn't want to imagine a world without that boy. It seemed like a dark, dark place to live in.

A voice as thick as honey suddenly spoke up, "Emi, you've made the blasted girl cry within a second of my arrival? You didn't even give her the chance to cry because of how happy she is to see me." Rory turned and saw her father and older brother, both standing beside her now. She hugged her brother tightly (as he was the nearest) and cried into his shirt. 

"Aurora needed to know something," Emilee said flatly as she stared at Quincy Laurel, Rory's dad. Rory would often marvel at how the two of them had ever ended up together. Quincy was perhaps the most gentle and loving soul that Rory had known, and that was a lot compared to Cedric. Her mother was cold, but she supposed opposites probably did attract.

Her father picked up the newspaper and read it with a worried brow. "Death eaters." He grumbled "No good for business. They meddle in absolutely everything." Her brother and dad were curse breakers, and so would travel around the world so she'd rarely see them anymore. As Rory's mom gave a pointed look to the men, they both realized why Rory was crying.

Kassian, rubbed her back in a comforting manner as he cried into his shirt harder. "Your boyfriend is invincible, I'm sure he's okay. I'll go beat up the death eaters myself if I must to make sure of it." 

"He's not my boyfriend." Rory sneered, and then finally pulled away from her brother's embrace, in search of her father’s instead. Her father held her lovingly, stroking her hair back from her face so it was easier for her to cry. "I should've been there." She mumbled.

"No, you shouldn't have. The Diggorys are fine." Her mother interrupted, "I asked the Weasley man." 

Rory had sometimes forgotten that Emilee Laurel was an Auror. "Thank you mother-" she choked out in glee, but then immediately regretted it. Emilee had a firm belief system that women should not cry or display signs of weakness, because the world was prejudiced enough as it was.

Emilee held her hand up to silence Rory. "Aurora, you should go get some rest. You look pale as a ghost. I'll get an elf to bring you tea." Rory nodded and said goodbye to her brother and dad. 

Back in her room, Rory relaxed with Osbourne on her lap, stroking his soft fur. He purred in pleasure, and the door opened again. Kari, her sister, walked in with a cup of tea and set it down on her nightstand. "How are you doing?" Kari and Kassian were completely identical except in gender. They both inherited Emilee's dark hair and Quincy's freckles, and both had dark blue eyes that seemed to glimmer with mischief or curiosity. Rory wished she had inherited their mother's beauty. While their father was indeed handsome, Rory felt that her features were more delicate, rather than the defined sharpness their mother held. 

As Kari watched her carefully, Rory realized she had forgotten to respond. "I think I'm alright. I'm just anxious." the younger sister sighed. "I'm such a fool for him." 

"He's your first crush. I get it." Kari sighed, "There was a Gryffindor in my year, Charlie Weasley, that I was absolutely stunned with. But he was more interested in Dragons than he was in me." Rory giggled lightly at this. "He was completely oblivious the entire time, and we went on dates too. And eventually, I realized that he didn't realize we were on dates and he thought we were just hanging out. It was the most mortifying experience."

Kari's expression lightened and she smiled before she continued; "But the moral of the story. I knew Cedric too. He was younger, but he was attractive and already popular because he was the best dueller. He's a good guy. I just don't want you pining over him so much that you devote your entire being to him. I don't want you to get hurt."

"He won't hurt me. He's my best friend." Rory said with a weak voice and winced. It was strained as she said it and even she could feel her own pain as she said the word friend. It was perhaps, one of the more embarrassing moments of Rory's life. 

"Arie," Kari started, giving her a pointed expression. Kari was the only person who would ever call her that because Rory always found that nickname a little embarrassing. "Boys are clueless. Completely. You have to let him know how you're feeling before he moves onto another girl. I don't want to see you hurt. And don't end up like me, pining over a boy who'd probably rather kiss a dragon than a girl." 

"I'll work up the courage this year. I promise." 

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Kari sang softly, before kissing her little sister's forehead. "You're beautiful Arie. Cedric Diggory would be an absolute fool to deny you." Rory felt her face flush as her sister closed the door. 

Later that week at the train platform, Rory looked around nervously as her eyes searched for Cedric or any of his friends.  _ His _ friends, because though they were all friendly with her and said hello in the hallways, she was still younger and favored spending her time with him rather than distributing it evenly. Unfortunately, she didn't see him and was forced to retire inside the train, wandering through the corridor and peeking at people in the compartments. There was Ernie Macmillan and two other Hufflepuffs she could probably sit with, and Michael Corner who was already friendly with her.

As she walked past Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin goons, she felt a hand press against the small of her back. Rory whipped around within a second with an expression that must have looked like fright, but relaxed when she saw who it was. Cedric Diggory removed his hand carefully and spoke softly, "I'm sorry, have I startled you?" His expression was filled with genuine concern that made it look as if he injured her or something.

She shook her head no and smiled at him, "I'm just doing laps around, for fun, clearly." 

He laughed, and when he did she felt her heart do that fluttering it always did around him. "Alright, I'm going to pretend I haven't seen you wandering around like the living dead and you're going to come with me. We saved you a seat. That is, only if you want to sit with us." 

Rory grinned, and she followed Cedric, she caught Draco Malfoy glancing at her. It wasn't a mean look or even a curious one, he was just blatantly staring at her as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle. She couldn't shake off the feeling of awkwardness, so she glanced at the floor and stared at Cedric's shoes instead. 

As Cedric escorted her into the compartment filled with his older year Hufflepuff friends, she sat next to the window and glanced out at the platform. Amos Diggory stood there and waved at her, to which she returned the favor. Rory felt her eyes wander again. Her father and brother left days earlier because they had a mission in India, her sister was busy at St. Mungo's, and there was no way that her mother would see her off, so she was alone. Rory imagined her siblings standing there, Kari smiling widely and waving, and Kassian making absurd faces in an attempt to make her laugh. It was what they did during her first and second years. No one saw her off at her third either.

The Hufflepuffs surrounding her were all laughing about something they did during their fourth year, so Rory had no clue as to what was going on but just smiled and nodded. "Are you alright?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about the twins. They say hello by the way." 

The older boy nodded and squinted at the window possibly looking for them, "They didn't come?" As she shook her head, he sighed but gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they would've wanted to."

"Kari is back at Mungos. Kass and dad are on another adventure. And you know how my mom is."

Rory studied Cedric's face for a moment. He looked more tired than he had when she had seen him in the summer and it made her worried. Before she could respond, Luna Lovegood appeared. "I'm sorry for asking, but is it alright if I sit here? Malfoy is being a pest and decided to take the compartment I was in." All the Hufflepuffs looked over at Rory since Luna had her Ravenclaw robes on and they all knew they were in the same house. The train had already started moving, and Luna held on to the doorframe tightly.

"Sure," Rory said sheepishly, "Ced, you wouldn't mind swapping seats with me?"

"Not at all." The boy smiled, and they adjusted their seating arrangement so that Rory sat in the middle of Cedric and Luna to avoid an awkward conversation. Rory had mostly agreed to Luna sitting with them out of guilt. Luna and Rory were best friends for the first two years until Rory had left in favor of the older students. She had tried to keep in touch with Luna as much as possible and to stay friends with her, but it was rather difficult.

Now, Cedric stared outside the window at the other Hufflepuffs mumbled to each other. In the sunlight, his hair took a golden and reddish-brown color. His blue eyes seemed brighter, and his face appeared less tired. Rory sighed to herself quietly before turning to Luna. "How long have you been looking for a seat? I thought I saw Malfoy already sitting with the Slytherins."

"He was, but then decided to commence his own personal reign of terror. I think they all split up for laughs to take up other seats and take them away from others. Mine included. I'm sorry, I wouldn't have bothered you otherwise."

"It's alright Luna, I just wanna make sure you're okay." The girls smiled at each other awkwardly, and Luna proceeded to stare at the floor. 

Across from Rory, sat Henry Broussard, Rodney Sterling, and Shelley Quilt. Shelly had her nose in a book while Henry and Rodney took turns playing with Every Flavor Beans. As Rodney gagged, Rory spoke up; "Was it Liver again?"

"Rotten egg." He grumbled, but then grinned immediately. "Ravenclaws, why don't you give them a go?" Rodney held out the colorful box to the two girls. Luna shook her head, but Rory decided to grab one, hoping that it wouldn't be too bad. Cedric ended up getting a few as well. 

"Merlin, I got Sulphur." Rory heaved out, as the boys and Shelley burst into laughter. "I always get the worst ones, I don't know why I keep doing this." 

Next was Cedric's turn, who had gotten Toffee, Peppermint, and Cherry. Cedric  _ always _ got the good ones. 

Through the rest of the train ride, the group shared stories about what they'd done during the summer, and Cedric told them about the World Cup. Later on, Rory had noticed Luna had left the group and felt bad that she hadn't noticed her departure. 

As they got off the train and waited for carriages, she scanned the crowds for any sign of Luna. People said hi to Rory, and she halfheartedly greeted them because her mind was so preoccupied. "Come on, Rora." Shelley said sweetly. A carriage had arrived for them and the two girls got on, but Rory still couldn't shake the feeling of shame.

The next month went by quickly. Classes were uneventful, but every free moment was spent with the Puffs. Cedric’s seventeenth birthday passed and they spent the day at Hogsmeade, and Rory had drawn him a portrait of himself in neat charcoal because he didn’t like it whenever they bought him something. Along with that, she gave him her copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets, where she had highlighted the ones that reminded her of him. Naturally, he loved it. 

Cedric would always walk her to her first classes of the morning, and sometimes she'd sneak over to their table for breakfast and lunch. (Dinner was out of the question, unfortunately. She would spend dinner alone or eat with Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot.) And all in all, the first month of her 4th year at Hogwarts was fun. Even Snape didn't give her a hard time, and Rory was doing well in all her classes. 

Rory lived her life in a perfect little bubble alongside the Puffs. There wasn't fear of failure, or the need to live up to her mother's expectations at Hogwarts. It was perhaps the one place she could truly be herself, as sappy as that may seem. 

Michael Corner linked his arm through Rory's in a friendly manner as they walked to the Great Hall together. There was to be a feast and a special announcement, so she had to go along with the Ravenclaws. "Have you any idea what it might be?" Michael whispered quietly. She shook her head as she eyed the great hall in dismay. It seemed a little too decorative for dinner. "Well, did you see the Abraxans earlier?"

"I was in the common room reading." She mumbled, and they finally took their seats. All students seemed to be mumbling about something.

"Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are here," Anthony Goldstein commented as he sat down next to Terry Boot, with a small smile on his face. "Which means, more girls."

"You boys are insufferable." Rory giggled

Terry grinned widely and decided to tease her. "No wonder you've abandoned your own house for the Hufflepuffs." Rory made a fake pout at him, causing the three boys to burst into laughter. "Maybe the schools realized that the dating pool is limited so they decided to bring us all together." 

"Now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement." Dumbledore's voice boomed throughout the hall. This snapped the four Ravenclaws out of their conversation, and they arched their heads in order to see what was happening. "This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. But you see, Hogwarts has been chosen-" Dumbledore droned on, before Filch whispered something to him and ran away. 

"I don't think I've ever been more frightened in my life than I have seeing Filch run." Rory whispered to Michael, who chuckled in response. 

The headmaster then proceeded to tell students that Hogwarts would be hosting the Triwizard Tournament, a tournament that would bring Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang together. Rory had heard of the Triwizard Tournament before, and fear shot through her. It was dangerous, and only the most stubborn person would willingly put themself in the way of all that trouble. Her eyes caught Cedric Diggory's, and her heart fell deep into her stomach. Rory felt like she was going to be sick. 

The Beauxbaton girls strutted in and sighed and swayed as a show of grace. Rory thought it was absolutely ridiculous, but the boys seemed to approve. "They're perfect." Anthony said dreamily.

"I heard that half of their school is half-Veela." Michael murmured to Rory, which wouldn't surprise Rory at all. 

Butterflies flew around them, which made Rory chuckle. "A little much? They seem stuck up." Michael nodded in agreement, but he was still drooling over them. 

And then came Durmstrang, wielding their staffs and performing all sorts of flips and stuff as a display of dominance. "Merlin, now we've got both ends of the spectrum." Rory sneered. "Have these people no self-respect? A display of hyper-femininity and masculinity, I think I might puke." The boys ignored her completely, still smitten by the Beauxbaton girls. She waved her hand in front of Terry's face, who didn't move his eyes off of them. "You are ridiculous."

Dumbledore started speaking of eternal glory and three dangerous tasks, and something in her belly delt undeniably  _ wrong _ . 

The schools were willingly gambling away their students lives, and for what? Entertainment? 

Rory's eyes darted over to Cedric again. Cedric was facing away from her, but she could tell that on his face was a look of pure awe as Dumbledore spoke. 

Rory couldn't take any more, so she tuned out the rest of what was said, only paying attention again when the Goblet of Fire was brought out. Even the goblet seemed sinister and something about it that chilled her to the bone.

The next thing she realized was that she was crying. Michael raised an eyebrow at her as she wiped the tears away with her sleeve, but said nothing for her sake. She felt Cedric's eyes on her, but she didn't want him to see her crying so freely.

The moment they were dismissed, Rory darted out into the hallways, ignoring Michael calling after her. All she could think about was getting up to her room, to safety, where no one could bother her. Rory squeezed her way through other students, and her body slammed into the worst person possible. The two tumbled to the ground, and Rory's elbow unfortunately connected with their face, and then she hit her head against the wall before making her final impact with the boy's chest. "I'm so sorry-" she squeaked, as Draco Malfoy scowled in front of her. 

The pale blonde glared at her with his gray eyes, and she realized he had a bloody nose. The vivid red hue of it trickling down his face made her nauseous. 

"Is that because of me?" Rory asked, suddenly more concerned than scared. "I'll walk you to Madam Pomfrey."

"Be careful Laurel," He mumbled quietly, his voice as sharp as a dagger. His eyes bore into her amber ones, and she felt chills run down her arms. "You might crack your skull open weren't I here to cushion your fall." Rory couldn't tell if Draco was saying this genuinely or if it was a threat. Frankly, she really didn't want to take her chances with this boy. 

"Leave her alone, Malfoy." A voice called from behind them, and Rory looked up to see Harry Potter standing there. The brunette had his wand drawn out and pointed at Malfoy, but Rory lifted her hand up to show he was no threat. She had never spoken to Harry properly, but he was always kind to her. Rory was a little baffled as to why he would stand up for her. 

Draco sneered at Harry and pushed Rory off of him and back to the floor "I haven't done anything. It was her that decided to use my body as a landing pad."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled out again, "He's right though Harry, it was my fault. I should've watched where I was going, I'm such a fool-"

Harry frowned at her and she saw Cedric make his way through the crowd of students that had formed around them. He crouched in front of her and cupped her face in his left hand, helping her up with his right. The feeling of his hand pressed up against her face was enough to make her flush scarlet and look away from him. She was still extremely pissed off, and she couldn’t bare to look at him for even a moment. " _ Merlin _ , Rory, did he hurt you?"

"No!" Rory and Draco both said at the same time.

"Keep your pet on her leash, Diggory." Draco spat before getting up and storming off. Rory watched Draco's blonde head walk away and frowned to herself. 

"I should go after him." Rory mumbled, "I don't want any bad blood, and I was the one who hurt him." Cedric shook his head and furrowed his brow.

Harry watched Rory and Cedric and spoke up, "I think you should be going to Madam Pomfrey's. You're bleeding." Rory reached up, and sure enough, felt the blood trickling down from where she hit her head on the wall. She felt so lightheaded that she knew she could barely stand up on her own.

"I'll take you," Cedric said quietly as he inspected the source of blood. "It won't be any trouble."

"No you won’t, you have class." Rory snapped quickly. She honestly didn't want to be alone with Cedric at the moment because she knew he had seen her crying, and she didn’t want the tears to start forming again. "Harry, do you mind?" Rory said softly this time. Harry nodded, and the two fourth years walked to the hospital wing together.

Draco Malfoy sat inside, glaring at the floor in front of him as if it had hurt him. Rory looked at Harry and realized that it would probably make a scene if she walked in with Potter, and Rory didn't need to deal with any more drama for the day. 

"Thank you Harry, but I think I can handle myself now. I don't think I have to worry about stumbling into anyone anymore." She smiled weakly. Harry Potter nodded and then stared at Draco in caution.

"If there's any trouble..."

"There won't be," Rory assured him, which seemed to be enough for Harry to leave.

Rory sat next to Draco cautiously in the waiting area, and he glanced up at her briefly. "I'm sorry."

"Shut up."

"Okay." Rory was used to this sort of cold behavior from her mother, but Draco took it to a whole different level. His rudeness was to everyone, not just her, and he seemed cruel in general. Rory felt dizzy, though she figured it was because of the blood loss. She reached up to her head again and when she brought her hand down it was covered in blood. "Oh," she mumbled to herself. 

Draco looked up at her again, and for a moment she thought there was a softness in his gaze. "How are you more injured than me when you fell on top of me and then proceeded to elbow me in the face?"

“Perhaps you have the thicker skull, Malfoy.” Rory said cheekily. There was no ill intent with her words, and the corner of Draco’s mouth twitched.

She chuckled softly, and Madam Pomfrey looked at her in horror as she walked over to the two teens, "What happened to you?"

"She fell," Draco answered for Rory, the softness in his eyes were suddenly replaced with the coldness she was familiar with.

"We fell." Rory corrected, not breaking eye contact with him. He was the first to turn away, and she saw it as a win. "Madam, you should help Draco first, he arrived here first."

"Mister Malfoy has a habit for over-exaggerating injuries." Madam Pomfrey said as she cast a spell to clean off Rory's wound and casted another that would close it. It stung a bit. "You, however, have a habit of never coming until the last minute." Rory felt her face flush scarlet. In her second year during Quidditch practice, she was hit by a bludger and fell off her broom and walked around on her broken ankle for a week, until Neville Longbottom noticed how much it was swelling up. Madam Pomfrey never let her live it down. "Malfoy comes here every other Care of Magical Creatures class."

Draco scowled at Madam Pomfrey but said nothing, and she moved onto helping him. Thankfully Rory hadn't broken his nose, but he still had a bunch of scrapes and bruises along his arms. "Aurora why are you still here?" He asked

"To make sure you're alright."

He seemed unsure of how to respond to this and considered his words carefully. "I am alright. So leave."

"Do you want me to go?" Rory asked him softly. Draco just glared at her and she took the hint. She laughed and thanked Madam Pomfrey before she left. As she opened the door back into the hallway, Harry Potter stood there staring wide-eyed at her like he _knew_ he would be in trouble. "What are you still doing here, Potter?!" 

"I just wanted to make sure there'd be a witness to your murder if he tried anything." Harry blurted out. She couldn't help but giggle at his response. He was innocent and didn’t mean any harm, so she couldn’t help but find his awkwardness endearing. Rory linked her arm through his, and she did with most friends despite their lack of closeness. (Cedric had said once that she was touch starved. She always assumed she just wanted to be as physically close to Diggory as possible, but she did it with other friends as well.) Harry and Rory both had their next class together, so why not go together? 

"Come on then, we're late for Herbology. Perhaps the plants will start an uprising and then you'll be the witness to my murder. With the number of plants I’ve killed, I’m sure to have ended the lives of enough of their brethren to piss them off." 

Harry smiled at her, and the two wandered off.


	3. A Future Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of unedited and I'm sorry oops

The Pureblood paired herself with Harry that day in Herbology, and honestly, it was one of the most fun classes she had in a very long time. Though everyone knew Rory by her association with the older Hufflepuffs, she didn't have many friends she could just casually hang out with. Maybe it was just Michael Corner. 

Harry had been welcome company. Rory didn't expect Harry to actually have a sense of humor, she just always assumed he was quiet and reserved. Maybe that was rude of her. She didn't really give it a second thought.

As for Harry, Harry felt happy. Whenever he was with Ron or Hermione, he always felt pressured to be some sort of hero or leader that would guide them to their next adventure. With the amount of chaos he faced on a regular basis, he had begun to hope that this newfound friendship with Rory would be different.

The class had ended abruptly and people darted out to see who would put their names in the Goblet of Fire. Some students would just camp out in the Great Hall and wait to see, on the edge of their seats in pure anticipation. 

Harry watched Rory as she had begun to wipe her dirt-covered hands off on her robe instead of using a cleaning spell. He thought it was peculiar. "So Rory," he started, and then she held her hand up to silence him. 

" _Hush_ now Potter, if it's anything serious I can and _will_ slap you. I've had enough seriousness today." She threatened, but her eyes glimmered with delight. Her eyes were a strange color, because they weren't quite hazel, but they also seemed gold. It could just be a trick of the light.

Before Harry could speak, Cedric Diggory had walked into the classroom, smiling awkwardly at the younger girls who gaped at him. 

"Nevermind," Harry had decided not to say anything to her. He was simply going to ask her what her opinion was on the fact that Victor Krum was there at the school. Rory used to be the Ravenclaw seeker until she decided to stop to focus on other things. Cedric met Harry's eyes and waved, and Harry just nodded back. "I'll see you tomorrow Rory."

Rory was confused at Potter's sudden dismissal, but she turned around to see Cedric standing there in front of a crowd of girls who were fawning over 'How brave he was.' 

She glanced around the greenhouse to pretend she hadn't seen him, but it was already much too late. "Rory!" He had broken away from her classmates.

" _Merlin,_ " she murmured sheepishly. "Hello Ced, unfortunately, I have some very important business to attend to and will have to end our discussion early, thank you for your patience." The way she said it was dry and sarcastic, and regretted it as soon as he had begun to pout at her. 

"You're avoiding me." 

"I am, actually." Rory attempted to walk away from him, but he spun her around and had his hands squarely on her shoulders while giving her a pointed look. 

"Speak, Rory. I know what you'll say, so say it anyways."

"What am I going to say then?" She placed her hands on her hips and scowled at him, but even she knew that this wouldn't have any effects on him, considering the fact he was a lot taller than she was. Rory couldn't pretend to be scary if she wanted.

"You're going to try to convince me that putting my name in the Goblet is the worst decision of my life, and then go on a tangent about why I shouldn't, and possibly the many different ways I'm going to die." Cedric Diggory, unfortunately, knew her well.

"Then why are we having this conversation, Cedric?" She huffed. Rory was mad. She didn't consider herself an angry person, and she had never gotten mad at Cedric.

"You know why I'm here." His voice was soft. The way Cedric stared at her with his baby blue eyes were meant to be disarming and Rory wondered if he knew about the effects that he had on her. Perhaps that was why she had such a strong affinity towards him.

She took a deep breath as she looked up at him in defeat. "You're a good man, I know you want to do this to prove yourself, but you don't need to. You just turned seventeen only a while ago, so you see this as fate. You want the glory of being a Triwizard Champion for Hufflepuff. You want to make everyone proud, and this is a perfect opportunity. And because I know you, and because I care for you, I am telling you this is a stupid idea. You're not one for stupid ideas, Cedric." Her blatant honesty even surprised her and she hadn't even expected those words to come out of her mouth. Rory's cheeks flushed scarlet.

"I'll be safe, Rory." He promised, but they both knew that this wasn't his promise to keep. The look in his eyes broke her heart. Cedric was trying so hard to make him see things his way. "I have a good feeling about this. And what are the odds of the Goblet choosing me? It's just a chance."

"You're right. A chance at death. You're my best friend, I can't-" _lose you_ , she thought to herself, but she wouldn't dare admit it to him. Rory felt a sob creep up her throat but she took a deep breath and continued, "I _won't_ support this. Leave the glory to someone else. I don't want to see you throw yourself in the face of danger. I'm sorry Cedric."

"Look at me, Rory. I'm here, right here and right now." Cedric cupped her face in both hands. She wished he didn't. She wished that they were six feet apart, where she could keep herself calm and composed and not look into his eyes. "And I'll be fine. Okay?" 

A tear slipped from her eye. He brushed it away with his thumb. "Okay." 

He smiled and pulled his hands away from her face, too quickly for her liking. "Will you at least go with me to put my name in?"

Her mouth twitched. She sighed. Of course, Cedric would win. "Okay."

He grinned widely, and they walked outside the greenhouse and towards the great hall.

She didn't know what she was expecting when she got there. A bunch of students hung around and cheered as people put their names in, but she felt like her feet were glued to standing against the doorway. Rory watched the faces of the people around her. Nervous boyfriends and girlfriends stayed at the sidelines, and she realized she shouldn't be there. _No, this was a mistake._ Aurora Laurel was raised better than to follow a man into something she didn't want, and her mother made sure of that. 

Part of her was glad her mom was such an avid feminist. 

"You go ahead, I'll wait here for you," Rory told Cedric. He knew better than to push her, so he nodded and gave her a brief hug. 

Shelley, Rodney, and Henry were all in the room, beaming at Cedric proudly and running up to him. While Rory watched them conversation and saw how happy they all were, she pondered whether if that's what she looked like to other people whenever she was with their group. At the moment, she couldn't imagine being that happy. Rory didn't even understand why she was so mad, or why she felt like only something bad could happen out of this.

"Why the long face?" A voice beside her asked, and she glanced at Fred and George Weasley standing there. The red hair was unmistakable. The Weasley twins were infamous. Cedric hated them. She secretly adored them from afar though and always wanted to befriend them.

"Watching a friend do something stupid."

One of the twins had walked to her other side so that she was sandwiched between the two. "Would you like to watch us do something stupid?" the twin on the right grinned. 

Rory raised an eyebrow in intrigue, "Am I about to witness Weasley antics?"

"No antics, a genius masterplan," The other twin replied with a smile so big on his face that it must have hurt. "What's your name?"

"Aurora, or Rory. Either works." 

"I'm Fred," The twin on the right said, "And that ugly brute is George." She smiled at them. They managed to turn her sour mood to pure amusement. George made a face at Fred which caused the three to burst into laughter. Their knack for mischief and sense of humor made her miss her older brother suddenly. 

A rampant cheering emerged around them, making Rory realize she had completely missed out on watching Cedric put his name into the Goblet. He was smiling, hugging the people around him, and then he turned to look at her. 

The light of the blue fire glowed off his skin beautifully and she had to catch her breath. 

He had a soft smile, but she could see the guilt in his eyes. _'I'm sorry.'_ he mouthed. She shook her head. _No, you're not._

George noticed Rory and Cedric's staring contest and cleared his throat, to which Rory focused on the twins again. George held a vial in his hand and looked proud. "We're going to cheat the age line that Dumbledore drew around the Goblet." 

The moment she realized what the vial was, she couldn't help but giggle. "You two are a little stupid." Rory mused, smiling again. Cedric was gone, which would make it easier to focus on something that wasn't him.

"Incredibly so, but this is guaranteed to work." Fred wrapped his arm around her shoulders while George wrapped his around her waist. "You're about to be a witness to-"

"Greatness." The other twin continued cheekily. 

They proceeded to drag Rory into the Great Hall, and raised their hands and cheered. The people there screamed and yelped, excited by the mere presence of the Weasley twins. And there was Rory, standing in the middle of it. 

She had broken into a stream of giggles till her chest hurt, and the Weasleys let her go to take their places next to each other. They toasted each other, and after they drunk, they successfully hopped past the age line. George wiggled his eyebrows at Rory and winked. "See? Genius." 

The twins put their names into the goblet and waited. 

After a brief moment of silence, everyone cheered –that was until the fire roared once again and spat the slips of paper back out. A pulse of energy burst through the room, pushing Fred and George back. Rory did a double-take at what she saw next. They were still Fred and George, but _old_. 

The twins glared at each other. "You said-"

"You said!"

They then attacked each other and begun to wrestle on the floor, making everyone around them laugh and egg the fight on. Rory smiled weakly and decided that now was the right moment to leave. 

Rory couldn't understand why her heart suddenly filled with such strong sadness. She was awed by the fact they had spoken to her because she was alone and gloomy, but she couldn't stop thinking about how many ways the Triwizard Tournament could go wrong. 

She didn't want to spend another moment in that room with the stupid goblet. 

Once she reached the Ravenclaw common room, she knocked on the door. Rory didn't feel like answering a riddle, all she wanted to do was go up to her room and sob uncontrollably into her pillow. Who cares who would hear? Certainly not Rory. The door opened, and Cho Chang opened the door. 

Rory didn't know how, but she had managed to go four years without socializing with Cho, who was a very popular Ravenclaw and seemed to know everyone. After Rory had quit Quidditch and gave up her position as Seeker last year, Cho had taken her place quickly. Cho wasn't as good as Rory, but she played beautifully. The Ravenclaw Quidditch team had been _mad_ when Rory decided not to continue playing.

Rory purposely evaded her as much as possible. It was easier that way because she figured if she pissed off the Quidditch team they'd have easy access to kill her in her sleep since they were all in the same house.

Rory's mind was a bit dramatic sometimes when it came to imaginary scenarios. 

She felt like she wouldn't get along with Cho in the first place.

She smiled awkwardly at Cho and nodded in appreciation, then walking past her and into the common room. Michael was seated upside down on a loveseat like it was the most comfortable position in the world. His nose in some book that he was reading. He dropped it onto his own face when Rory walked in.

"Rory, what happened earlier? Why were you crying?"

This grabbed a few other Ravenclaws attention. Their house wasn't one for drama, but one that just liked to know about things. That included crying girls, unfortunately. "I wasn't," Rory said stiffly, glaring at Michael. 

"Are you worried about him? I heard he put his name in." Him, was of course Cedric. Along with her family, the only people who really knew about her crush on Cedric were Michael and Luna. Luna knew because she witnessed Rory fall for the older boy, and Michael just figured it out on his own because of how much they spent time together. Rory nodded and sat next to Michael, who managed to swivel around to sit upright. Michael gave her a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine." At least Michael lowered his tone.

"You can't know that."

"I can't, but he's one of the most brilliant duellers and wizards here. A prefect, AND a great seeker. It's impossible for him to lose anything. I don't think he could if he tried."

Rory sighed. There was no getting around Michael for anything. If she didn't give up now, this would turn into a week-long debate for the two. "I don't care if he wins or loses." It was deeper than that. "I'm going to bed."

"It's early."

"I know, I just- I need time alone, yeah? And I'm never gonna get that unless I'm asleep." Michael nodded understandingly, and Rory made her way up to her dorm.

When she got to her room, she practically threw herself into bed, allowing it to envelope her. Rory sighed and curled into her bed, not even bothering to change clothes into something comfortable. 

The following day was Hallowe'en, Rory decided to put a little extra effort into her appearance. In the wizarding world, they didn't dress up in silly costumes, but as a child, Kassian had insisted on taking her and Harvey trick-or-treating in the muggle world for fun. It was her most fond memory with her brothers. All she was able to do was style her hair and add a bit of mascara and lip gloss because she had lost the inspiration halfway through, but all-in-all, she was happy. 

As she walked back into the common room, she saw Michael asleep on the same loveseat from earlier and shook him gently. "Wake up you git." 

Michael mumbled and cursed as he fell onto the floor. "A literal rude awakening." He grumbled, rubbing his eyelids groggily before he looked up at Rory in surprise at her appearance. "What have you done with Rory?"

"You're hilarious, Michael." She couldn't help but feel pleased with herself. Rory knew that was his version of a compliment. "Do you think I look different enough so that Diggory won't recognize me and leave me alone?"

"Funnily enough I thought you were the one chasing after him for several years." Michael stood up and stretched, his eyes still filled with sleep. "What's the matter with you two?"

"I got mad at him, and I know he's going to keep trying to apologize to me."

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't want him to apologize. I can't be mad at him if he says sorry."

"Are you telling me the only thing a guy has to do is _apologize_?" Michael seemed shocked at this revelation. " _Merlin_."

"And they have to not be a git. I'm afraid you're screwed." She grinned. Michael stuck his tongue out and they both laughed at their childishness. "I'm going down for breakfast. Will you be joining me?" 

Michael shook his head, "Have to study for Potions. It's why I've been here all night." Rory rarely bothered to study for potions. She was bad with anything that required exact instructions, (Herbology, Magic Creatures) and Snape had mixed feelings towards her. Her sister was his star pupil, and Rory could never measure up to her, but Snape had a softness towards Rory simply because she was a Laurel. Often, Rory would do the steps wrong but would get the correct result. Snape would pretend she did it right. 

"I'll see you later."

As Rory stepped into the Great Hall, a question popped into her head. Who was she going to sit with? With Michael not there and her argument with Cedric, she didn't really have anyone to go to. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she made her way to an empty area on the Ravenclaw table. Rory grabbed some toast and pushed some eggs onto her plate when someone sat next to her. "Aurora." The voice said stiffly. The voice belonged to the only human being who called her Aurora (besides her mother)

Draco Malfoy sat mere inches away from her, staring at her intently. His posture was impeccable, and it almost made Rory want to slap him upon his regal face. She knew the Malfoys were pureblood and only _slightly_ more wealthy than her family. The Laurels were more beloved and were held up in great esteem by the public eye. The Malfoys were infamous. Everyone was terrified of them.

Rory remembered seeing Lucius Malfoy wandering through the halls in her second year, and at one point Luna and her had made it a point to follow him around secretly to see what 'the pompous rich people do in their free time' Draco had the same bright hair and cold gaze, but a wicked smirk that was ever-present. But what was he doing there with her?

"Good morning, Draco." She said with a mouthful of toast in her mouth, purposely to annoy him. He made a face of disgust and attempted to cover it up quickly. It amused her. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Perhaps you'd receive more company if you considered honing a basic set of table manners." She made him uncomfortable and therefore had reached her goal. "I'm asking if you know whether Diggory put his name in or not." 

Rory raised her eyebrow at the platinum blonde skeptically. When had the young Malfoy reached interest in Cedric? His gaze was unwavering, and it was unsettling considering the fact she was trying to eat. "Why?"

Draco gestured towards the Slytherin table. "The others want to know. I suggested you would since you two are... _close_." The way he worded close made it sound like there was something dirty going on between her and Cedric. Was Draco annoyed at the fact that she hung out with Cedric when he wasn't exactly one of the wealthiest purebloods? 

"Cedric's business isn't yours. Or mine for that manner. Maybe I don't know, I'm simply _Diggory's pet_ , correct?" The memory of what Draco had called her yesterday still stung deeply. Now that she wasn't as hungry, Rory pushed her second piece of toast towards Draco. 

He cocked a brow up at her, and then took a bite. She was satisfied with this for some strange reason and smiled. "Be serious, Laurel." Her eyes dragged from his scowl to her plate.

"You're no fun, _Malfoy_." She mocked his serious tone. "Yes. He did put his name in the Goblet, though I don't know why that's any of your concern." Draco nodded and once he seemed content with her response, he stood to leave.

"Draco." She said sternly. "Sit back down."

Suprise. That was the initial reaction of both Rory and Draco, but he obeyed her command anyways. "Why?" The confusion was apparent in his appearance and glazed over his silver eyes. No one willingly asked Draco Malfoy for his company. 

"I expect some compensation for my response. I gave you the information, and there should be a payment." Rory said smugly. It was the type of lingo that Rory would hear her mother use when speaking of work-related things. 

"My company as compensation?"

Rory nodded. Draco eyed her as if at any moment she'd whip out a knife.

"I'm not going to stab you Malfoy." She hummed delightfully, "That would be an offense to me and to the blade."

His mouth twitched in amusement. "Well then? How have you plotted my untimely demise?"

She ignored his question. "Aren't you going to finish the toast? I thought I was being very gracious when I gave it to you." Rory loved that she managed to make this boy go from stoic and stone-cold to flabbergasted within a second. He took another bite awkwardly, probably wondering if she had poisoned it. Draco Malfoy _never_ looked awkward. "Draco, what's your favorite color? Mine is grey." 

"I hardly believe that qualifies as a color."

"That's yours?"

"Red." The tone was matter-of-fact, and Rory was surprised. She expected him to say black or green. Black, because of how dark and twisty he seemed, and green because of how much pride he took in his house.

"Any more interesting facts about you?"

"None worth telling. You?"

She thought for a moment before she spoke; "I like soup."

Draco suddenly burst into laughter as if this was the most hilarious thing in the world. She'd never seen the Slytherin laugh like this before unless he was mocking someone.

"What?" Rory whined and swatted him on the shoulder

"Your interesting fact was that you like soup? Was that all you could think of?" 

"Yes! It's my favorite food in fact. No one's favorite food is soup, so I think that's very interesting." She had finished her food, and now had a sudden craving for soup even though it was early in the morning.

"You're very strange, Laurel."

"And you're still here." She smiled. Rory realized she hadn't thought about Cedric the entire time that Malfoy was with her. 

Contrary to popular opinions, she didn't hate Draco Malfoy. She disliked his attitude towards Muggleborns and Harry Potter, but the few times she had interacted with him he wasn't awful. 

She knew what it was like growing up in a Pureblood family, Rory just happened to have lucked out in being born into one that was tolerant of muggles. At the moment, she was actually _enjoying_ his company.  
  
Draco's eyes wandered back over to the Slytherin table as if he were waiting for something. 

"You can go, if you want." She said quietly. "It's alright, I don't mind."

His tone reverted to seriousness again as he stood. "They are going to announce the Triwizard champions today. If Diggory is selected, I'm going to make a deal with you."

"Will I know what this deal is?"

"Not at the moment, no. I'm not even sure you can make the deal, but I figured it's worth a shot. Business."

She felt her heart drop. Was this whole conversation for nothing? "This whole conversation was just 'business'?" Draco nodded, his face had reverted to that cold expression that was ever-present. "And I thought we were becoming friends." She pouted, sarcasm leaking through her voice. 

"Don't take it personally Aurora," Draco mumbled. "I don't keep friends."

"Uh-huh." Rory looked over at the Slytherin table.

Draco seemed to notice, "You don't _want_ me as a friend, Laurel." He warned. She tilted her head at him and raised a brow in mock surprise. The Slytherin sighed and continued, "Chin up, you know something about me that others don't." 

"And that is?"

The signature Draco Malfoy smirk came upon his face once again. "I also love soup."

Later as Rory Laurel was on her way to the great hall to see who would become the Triwizard Champions, she felt an arm tug her aside and escort her behind a banister. Behind the banister was a secret little nook she had discovered with Luna Lovegood back in their second year, one that she had shown only to one other person: Cedric.

She looked up into familiar blue eyes, and before she could protest, he spoke up. "Rory, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But there's nothing that can be done now, so I have to clear the air between us before we get in and find out whether I've gotten it or not, okay?" He hardly gave her room to speak.

"Okay." Fewer words were easier around Cedric. Safer. Then she couldn' t say things she didn't mean. Or worse yet, words she _did_ mean.

"I know you're mad at me. And I am sorry, believe me. But this feels right -and something that feels so right can't be wrong, certainly." 

_It certainly could_ , Rory thought to herself but kept it in her head. 

Cedric's hand crept up from her arm to her shoulder, and then eventually, cupping her face. "You're my best friend. I don't want you to be mad. How can I make this right?" His words were quiet and strained as if he were in pain. 

Rory couldn't help it. 

She hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest. (It wasn't that hard because of their height difference. On cue, he wrapped his arms around her and held her firmly against him.

"I don't think I could be mad at you if I tried, Ced." Rory was enjoying the warmth of his body. She hadn't realized she was cold until now. "I did try. Today was agony without you. I'm mad that you did something so idiotic, but not at you."

Cedric sighed and pulled away. "So, still friends?"

"Still friends." She smiled, though she wasn't sure that it reached her eyes. He smiled back and Rory felt her heart do a backflip in his chest. "We should go. I have to go find Michael before the other seats are taken. Might need someone to carry me back to the common room." She joked, and Cedric gave a small laugh.

"I'll carry you myself and knock the door down."

Rory wondered if she was blushing. She hoped not.

The two friends walked to the hall together hand in hand. Whenever he was nervous (which he rarely was) she would hold his hand. The first few times she had done it she worried whether her hands were clammy or too cold, but as time went by she simply didn't care anymore. His hands were larger than hers and it felt awkward, but it was a welcome sensation.

She knew that she would have to let go of his hand, that he'd have to go off to the Hufflepuff table and wait for an answer. She knew that there were people watching them, but she hugged him again anyways. "It's okay," Rory whispered, more for herself than for him. "You'll be okay." He smiled at her and she stood on the tips of her toes to kiss his forehead then scuttled off.

Michael who (thankfully) saved a seat. Rory mumbled a quiet thank you to her friend and faced Dumbledore as the ceremony began. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for," Dumbledore said gruffly, "The champion selection." 

The next few words that came out of the headmaster's mouth were inaudible. 

Rory felt herself blank out.

Michael watched in horror as he witnessed his friend's hazel eyes melt into pure gold and she gasped, almost as if she were choking on the air. Michael watched, as her pale face turned ashen and she spoke in a voice that wasn't hers. Michael watched, as she gripped onto his arm with a grip so strong that he was suddenly glad she didn't have long nails so that she could tear through his skin. _"It is time for four to rise to the challenge, but one shall fall. One shall always fall, and that will mark the beginning of the end."_

The way Rory spoke was quiet, but quiet enough for Michael to hear. Afterward, she slumped forward onto his chest, completely knocked out. A couple of other Ravenclaws noticed and glanced at her nervously. The champions for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were chosen, only leaving Hogwarts as the last.

"Rory?" Michael tried to lift her face to look up at him but she wouldn't wake up. "Rory!" He said louder, annoying some students around them. Did no one care? Michael felt angry, he was clearly struggling with her and no one even offered a second glance. They were all too preoccupied with the Goblet of Fire.

Luna Lovegood however, seemed to be the only one who stood and darted over to them. "Is she hurt?"

"I think she's gone mental." Michael huffed, managing to turn Rory around that way she slumped backward onto him instead of straight forward. He wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her up properly. "Luna, would you mind grabbing her legs?" Luna obeyed, and the two did their best to lie Rory down on the floor, and that finally grabbed the attention of students to actually do something. Three Hufflepuffs, who Michael assumed were in her and Diggory's friend group. Cedric stood up to rush forward, but then due to very unfortunate timing, his name was called.

"CEDRIC DIGGORY!" Dumbledore boomed, and people around them cheered

Michael saw the horror in Cedric's eyes as he glanced between Rory on the floor and towards the Goblet of Fire. For a moment, he even saw the hints of tears.

"Go! I'll take care of her." One of the Hufflepuffs, a pretty girl with caramel skin, yelled at Cedric. Cedric nodded and then left.

Luna stayed kneeling by Rory's side, holding her hand. Michael had known Rory and Luna were friends, but he didn't know how close since he never saw them together. The two male Hufflepuffs also crouched by Rory, tapping her face lightly in an attempt to get her to wake up. 

"Luna, do you know anything?" He pleaded with her, desperate to help their friend. "You've known her longer than I have."

"It's not my secret to tell." She said quietly. Michael understood what had happened, but he didn't know if he was imagining it. _But he knew._

"We need to get her to Madam Pomfrey's. Someone see if they can get Flitwick." Michael ordered, suddenly more determined than he had been in his life. Luna nodded and darted off. "Move away." He ordered to the Hufflepuff boys, who did so immediately. Michael kneeled in front of her legs and lifted her legs carefully about a foot in the air.

"What the hell are you doing, Corner? Trying to catch a glance?" A voice hissed behind him. Michael turned to glare at Draco Malfoy who had suddenly joined the party. Rory _was_ wearing a skirt, but Michael didn't see anything. 

"She fainted. I needed to raise her legs above heart level so that she gets blood flow to the brain." Michael grumbled. He didn't want to deal with Malfoy's antics or rude comments. He had to focus on Rory. 

Draco's expression faded. "Tell me what I need to do." He mumbled.

Michael was shocked at his offer for help but didn't want to question it. "Go get Madam Pomfrey. We can't move her, because that can hurt her more." He turned to face the Hufflepuff boys, who were frozen in place. "You two, go with him. Get a gurney or stretcher, anything really. Hurry. She's been out for longer than 3 minutes." The three boys nodded and left. That left Michael and the Hufflepuff girl, who had sat beside Rory and had begun holding her hand as Luna did.

"She's a good girl." The Hufflepuff sighed, looking down at Rory's face. Rory was a good person. Michael remembered speaking to Rory for the first time in their second year when he had been studying all day in the common room, and she kept darting in and out for some reason. She eventually asked him why he was there every time she went in, and once he told her, she left and came back with a bag of pastries for him since he hadn't eaten that day. Rory always asked how his day was, and she never made fun of his hair length.

"She is. She'll be okay." Michael said softly.

"Do you think it's because of the stress of the Triwizard Tournament? Cedric Diggory told me that Rory was scared for him."

"No. Something else." Michael remembered how horrified he was as she had begun speaking in a different voice. That voice felt as old as time, and he didn't _think_ Rory would faint over Cedric's endangerment. _Merlin_ , she passed out before they even called his name.

"My name's Shelley. Thank you, Michael." He was surprised she knew his name, but he nodded at her. 

Luna returned with Professor Flitwick who gasped when he saw Rory, "What exactly happened?" He asked.

"Rory passed out, but there's something else too." Michael glanced nervously at Shelley. How much did her Hufflepuff friends know? Did Rory herself even know? Flitwick sense the unease and nodded to him, giving him a look at signified they'd talk about it later. 

Draco and the Hufflepuff boys returned with Madam Pomfrey and a gurney. Michael finally put Rory's legs down and let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Luna placed her hand on his shoulder. "You did well." She smiled. Michael sighed but smiled back weakly. He felt exhausted and had hardly done anything. 

"Michael Corner, you showed outstanding acts of bravery and calmness under pressure and happened to save your friend when others simply watched and stood by. 30 points to Ravenclaw." Flitwick smiled, and Michael grinned gratefully. Madam Pomfrey, with the help of the Hufflepuff boys, had gotten Rory onto the stretcher.

"Can we go with her?" A boy asked. 

"I only have room for one." Madam Pomfrey responded, studying Rory intently

"I have to stay with her," Shelley protested, "I promised Cedric Diggory." Madam Pomfrey nodded. No one seemed to protest, so Shelley looked at one of the Hufflepuff boys. "Look for Cedric. He'll want an update. Tell him she's taken care of, because he'll freak out otherwise." The boy nodded. Shelley and Madam Pomfrey then left with Rory. 

Draco Malfoy sighed and gave a pointed glare at Michael. "Corner, if you tell anyone-"

"I don't care about you helping her. You have your reasons, and I don't care because they don't concern me, but thank you anyway." Michael then faced his head of house "Professor Flitwick, can Luna and I speak with you in the hallway privately?"

Michael, Luna, and Professor Flitwick both walked to the hallway, and Michael quickly checked if anyone was around. As soon as the coast was clear, Michael spoke. "I believe Rory is a seer, and she just spoke a prophecy." 

"Are you sure? This is a serious claim, Michael..." Flitwick was worried. He carried for his students deeply, and for Rory to be a seer, well -she could be in serious trouble and a target for death eaters.

"She is." Luna spoke up. Michael never spoke to Luna, but he was glad she was there. He would have to ask his friends to stop bullying her once he got back to the common room. "When we were young, she would have 'episodes' and visions. I can stand up for her and Michael. I don't think she even knows."

Flitwick was worried. Being a seer was a very serious thing and one that could put her in the face of danger. "I will speak to Professor Dumbledore. You will not tell anyone a word of this until we have confirmation or more concrete evidence. Alright? Especially Miss Laurel. We don't need to worry her anymore. And keep an eye on her, please."

Michael nodded, and Flitwick hastily walked away. The two Ravenclaw students stared at each other. "What do we do?" Luna asked.

"We wait for her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the chapter title is a pun.  
> No, I don't regret it.


	4. Skeletons in the Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rory wakes up from her coma and discovers a secret about herself from Dumbledore.

Rory didn't have the most pleasant dream that night. 

She was drowning, but she couldn't do anything about it. 

It was a cold and lonely feeling, and it _hurt_. She attempted to hold her breath as best as possible, but it didn't stop her from gasping out and having water enter her lungs. The worst part was, Rory didn't know how to swim. Desperation made her attempt at it, but the struggle would not let her float upwards. Her muscles strained terribly as her lungs burned, and Rory was only sinking further and further. She felt heavy and as if nothing could save her from her doomed end.

And eventually; she gave up.

Dream-Rory let herself sink until she felt her back touch against soft sand at the bottom of the lake she was in. Actual Rory didn't understand how she knew the body of water was a lake, but it was something she was certain of. 

Her vision started to get spotty and blur, and within a second, she was lying on a smooth, flat, and white surface. 

She began to puke out the water that had entered her, but nothing came out of her. It seemed almost as if it hasn't happened at all. She choked and wheezed, but once she settled down she noticed someone watching her. Rory felt her gut twist and a chill spread throughout her body as she realized who exactly was staring at her. Having never seen the man before, she wouldn't know from experience, but the pure terror that struck her could only lead to one person.

The Ravenclaw quickly stood herself up and watched him carefully. If she drew her wand, it'd look like a threat. If she didn't however...

Voldemort was more monster than man, and he stared right at her with a sickly grin. "Sometimes you have to give up the fight in order to survive, Laurel." Dream Rory panicked. She was very aware this wasn't real, but what had caused her to have a nightmare involving He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?

"It would be better if there weren't a fight in the first place." She growled at him. 

He laughed, and it only fuelled her unease. 

The Dark Lord's laugh echoed throughout her ears, taunting and shaming her. Rory had the sudden urge to run away and hide. It was a horrid noise. "You are a peculiar little witch, Aurora Laurel. I would have enjoyed killing you, had I not known the circumstances." He circled around her and watched her like a hawk. "Your mother would be very proud."

"She is. But that still doesn't explain why I'm here." Dream Rory retorted, though her fear was still clear in her voice. It sounded almost pitiful, like a field mouse challenging a dragon.

Voldemort suddenly reached out and pointed a long spider-like finger at her chest. "Don't be daft, Laurel. You know exactly why," He spat, "You are a stupid little girl. You may refuse my forces, but you _will_ respect me. You couldn't protect a boy. How do you expect to protect yourself?" As he shoved his long finger into her chest, she panicked and fell back, slumping onto the floor like a rag doll.

 _Harvey_ , she thought to herself. What did Harvey have to do with this?

"Don't speak of him!" Dream Rory yelled, finally casting out her wand. Now was currently not the time for carefully considered actions. Now was the time for action. "You don't deserve to disrespect his memory." Her fear was replaced with a fire within her that burned brightly.

He began laughing maniacally again, but this time it didn't scare Rory, it only fuelled her rage. "Laurel, if only you knew of the things that mattered. Stupid child." 

Water began to pool at her feet again and rose until she had to swim again. This time, she did swim. But the water would still hold her under. 

She was drowning, and no one could save her. 

Drowning.

It was inevitable.

Rory woke with a gasp, choking on the air as if she were back in the bottom of the lake. Tears slid down her cheeks and burned her eyes, effectively ruining her mascara from Hallowe'en. Her hands clawed at her own throat as she panicked.

Cedric Diggory shot up beside her, he had fallen asleep in a chair next to her gurney. "Rory? What's the matter?" She quickly looked around her and realized they were in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. 

Immense relief shot through her as she saw Cedric. "A bad dream. I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes to try to get rid of her tears. "What happened?"

"You fainted and were out for two days." The brunette boy told her, as he ran his fingers through his tousled hair nervously. "We were worried." 

"T-Two days?" She stammered out, "My cat—where's Osbourne?—where has he gone?"

"Ozzy is fine. Michael is taking care of him." Cedric assured her, and she sighed in relief and shut her eyes tightly. Behind her eyelids, it was dark but she could still see spots of light that leaked through from the room. She tried her best to remember the moments that led up to her passing out, but she couldn't remember anything useful. The last thing she could think of was strolling through the halls with Cedric. 

When she opened her eyes, Cedric had taken interest in a book that was left on an end table next to her. He wasn't reading it, but he was flipping the pages against his fingers as if he were looking for a distraction. Rory squinted as she looked at the book. "Who's is that?"

"Yours. Someone brought it by for you. I don't recognize him. He didn't say anything, just left it here and got out." Cedric handed to her, and as she opened the book, she noticed that it was actually a sketchbook. 

Her heart lifted. She did have an affinity for the arts, but she didn't think anyone noticed besides Cedric and Michael. Cedric and Michael knew each other, so it couldn't have been either of them. So then who cared enough to give her such a sweet gift? 

"Michael, Shelley, and I have been taking turns watching over you. Shelley does it when I can't during Prefect rounds. Michael comes during meal times to see if you're up and willing to eat. I usually come between classes and sleep here."

"You sleep here?"

Cedric Diggory seemed to be in another world in his head. He nodded, and though he was looking at her it seemed like he was looking _through_ her. "In this chair." He added as an afterthought.

"Why would you-"

He cut her off quickly. "Because you're my best friend." Rory sat up _—_ or rather, tried to _—_ before Cedric gently stopped her. "Careful. Don't want you passing out again from trying to move too quickly."

"It's fine Cedric." She said softly, this time sitting up without the older boy's attempts to stop her. "What did I miss for the past two days?"

He smiled sheepishly, "I'm a Triwizard champion, Rory. Along with Harry Potter, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum." There was a lovely blush that fell across his cheeks, but he seemed happy with what happened.

Rory wondered if that's why she passed out and had forgotten what had happened. But four champions? Wasn't it supposed to be 3?

"Oh." It was all she managed to force herself to say.

Silence.

Cedric furrowed his brow as he searched her face for a reaction. Anger, sorrow— _anything_ would be better than the silence that had fallen over them.

"I think I'd like to eat now." Rory choked out.

He nodded as he chewed his lip. Rory darted her eyes away from his lips quickly. 

Cedric Diggory then got Madam Pomfrey to check her again to make sure everything was fine before escorting Rory out. 

Predictably, The walk was silent. Rory watched her leather boots make contact with the stone floor before reaching out and linking her arm with Cedric's and held her new sketchbook in her other. The silence somehow gave her courage.

She looked up at him innocently, "So, does this mean I have to start wearing Hufflepuff colors?"

He chuckled, and it was one of the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard. "No, you don't have to."

Rory imagined herself in Hufflepuff colors, with her face painted in black and yellow, cheering Cedric on. In her mind, her cheeks were filled with color and she was grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. "Maybe I should print out shirts with your face on them —Oh! I know!— I'll get Amos to send me your infamous baby photos." She grinned. 

Amos Diggory had shown the photos of Cedric to her when she was over at their home the past summer. His mom and dad didn't have much money, but they saved up for a photoshoot of Cedric when he was a toddler. That meant pictures of a chubby baby Cedric dressed in ridiculous outfits. His parents were so proud of him, they were almost burst at the seams. 

Rory loved it and thought it was cute that they still loved parading their boy and his many accomplishments around. She longed that her parents would be like that. Quincy and Emilee loved her endlessly, and she knew, but Emilee had buried that love. Quincy was never around to show it. When he was though, he made sure he knew how loved she was.

Cedric winced at the comment Rory made, but a small laugh escaped from him as they arrived at the Great Hall. "We're just in time for lunch." He hummed softly, a tune she remembered hearing over the radio on a rainy day with him. "Are you sitting with us? Or are you going to sit with Michael? He's been worried sick about you. He was the one who caught and took care of you after you fainted. Corner has been more of a nurse than Madam Pomfrey."

"Michael did that? I assumed that y-"

"I was called up as it happened. I couldn't do anything." He spoke quietly. She looked up at him and saw a hint of something unfamiliar in his eyes. _Shame_. 

"I'll say hi to him, yes. But I'll go to you guys afterward. I need a moment to ask him what I missed in class. I have a lot of studying." She groaned. Cedric nodded in understanding and he walked toward the Hufflepuff table.

Rory found Michael Corner sitting at the far end of the Ravenclaw table with a book in front of him. To her surprise, Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein were nowhere in sight. Michael seemed too focused to even notice her presence. 

"Whatcha' reading there, Mikey?" Rory questioned as she slid in next to him.

Michael jumped in his seat and hissed at her. She wasn't sure if it was because she startled him or because she called him Mikey (which he hated.) After realization hit him, he begun to scold her. "You're the git in this friendship, Aurora Leonora Laurel." 

Rory winced at the use of her full name. It had always sounded so weird when it was strung up together. She hated it so much that when Michael had first found it out she shrieked and yelled at him for a solid 10 minutes. "Cedric told me what you did. Thank you."

"I've been worried s-"

"Sick. Yeah. He told me that too." Rory giggled, "Did I miss anything important in class?"

"Nothing you didn't already know. Though I do suggest borrowing someone's notes for Snape's." 

She nodded and absentmindedly let her eyes wandered around the great hall, trying to figure out who had gifted her the sketchbook. The cover of the book was a beautiful leather. It was deep blue with gold embellishments along the spine of the book. Her fingers delicately caressed the book and the corners of her mouth upturned into a coy smile.

"What's with the face, Laurel?" Michael inquired as he watched his friend. 

"Thinking of how much Snape missed me." She lied but gave Michael her most charming smile anyways. While Snape _did_ have a soft spot for her, there were times she caused as much trouble as Seamus Finnegan did.

"He does, he's got the 'Welcome Back Rory' banners ready in the classroom for your arrival."

"Confetti too of course?"

"Of course," Michael smiled, his dark brown hair lied floppily on his forehead and he pushed it back. "Only the best for _la Princesse_." His fake french accent made her giggle loudly.

"Have you been drooling over the Beauxbaton girls with Boot and Goldstein in my absence?"

Michael's eyes lit up happily and his cheeks flushed scarlet, automatically convicting him of his guilt. His eyes wandered to the other end of the Ravenclaw table where the Beauxbaton girls had decided to sit. Rory then saw Terry and Anthony making poor attempts at flirting with two of the girls. 

"Speaking of drooling, you're being watched, Rory." A warm voice said behind her, and a hand settled on the small of her back as Cedric Diggory sat beside her. She leaned into the familiar touch automatically.

"You couldn't leave me alone for five minutes." Rory teased, scooting over so the Hufflepuff could sit beside her. "Who is this person of mystery?"

Cedric pointed over to the Slytherin table, and Rory found Draco Malfoy looking at her skeptically. As three sets of eyes settled on the Slytherin, he averted his gaze from her in favor yelling at Goyle for stealing a biscuit off of his plate. The corner of Rory's mouth twitched in amusement, and she _almost_ smiled. Almost.

"Who is that?" Cedric asked curiously as he watched the platinum blonde boy with intrigue.

"Draco Malfoy," Michael answered, looking displeased. Everyone outside of Slytherin pretty much hated Malfoy. "The Prince of Slytherin. Also the biggest asshole in our year. I believe he's set his sights on our lovely Aurora here. He's been asking about you." The Ravenclaw boy began to reach for the food that was on the table to fill his plate. 

Rory scoffed, "He's not interested in me. He's with Pansy Parkinson. They've been inseparable since forever. There's no way they're not together, do you see how touchy they are with each other?" The thought of Draco Malfoy being capable of romantic feelings was a little absurd. Rory didn't hate him and knew he was human, but the thought was kind of funny.

She peered at Draco out of curiosity. His grey eyes seemed more piercing than usual, and they locked eyes again. This time he didn't look away and returned her gaze with his signature smirk that seemed more like a scowl.

"Like you and Diggory?" Michael quipped sarcastically, and Rory felt her face flush with color as she tore herself away from Draco Malfoy's eyes. Michael shot her a secret wink. 

Rory defended herself quickly, "That's a different kind of touchy. I mean they're like, _touching_ -touching." The girl's hazel eyes were wide and her cheeks were stained with a bright red, looking like a very frustrated toddler.

"You fourth-years are interesting." Cedric murmured and Rory elbowed him playfully in the side. 

Michael raised his brow at what the older boy said, "Why are you here, Diggory?"

"Just a change of plans. Rory was going to come to sit with us but they all had to go do something for a class. I didn't, so I came here."

Michael nodded and stood up grabbing his plate and the book he had earlier. When his housemate pouted, he rolled his eyes at her. "I'll leave you two alone now. Since Rory's alright, I have a lot of studying to do. I'll see you and Ozzy in the common room, Rory." He left in a hurry which confused Rory.

Cedric chuckled, his eyes still focused on the Slytherin table. "He's still watching us."

"Ignore him," She suggested, though her eyes wandered over to Malfoy yet again. 

Draco quirked an eyebrow at her. There was a certain smugness to his expression as he saw Rory and Cedric. ' _Diggory's pet'_ echoed in her head. 

She made the most dramatic eye roll possible at Malfoy and then focused on Cedric. "We just started speaking. I'm a pureblood and he's probably curious. His family is obsessed with mine." 

It was true. The Laurels, being a beloved and wealthy pureblood family was a mystery to the other wealthy purebloods because they never interacted with the other lineages. The Malfoys especially had taken an interest in her family because there seemed to be a contest with other families to see which could draw the Laurels out of their shell. Rory's father used to joke and say that they were probably one of the only pureblood families who _didn't_ happen to marry their own cousins and that that was valuable to the others. _Be wary of the pureblood boys, you'll probably be the first girl they go after._

Rory finally decided to start eating, snatching a toastie onto her plate. As she took a bite out of it, the cheese melted deliciously against her tongue. "I think I'm in love." She moaned out dramatically, feeling the vibrations of Cedric laughing beside her because he was pressed up against her back.

"I'm afraid you've set the standards extremely low." 

Cedric's eyes sparkled brightly, making her want to stare into them for however long she'd get away with it. She beamed at him as she leaned on his shoulder, feeling content with her two favorite things. Cedric and food. Rory _did_ have a weak spot for food. She hummed a Weird Sisters tune enthusiastically as she brutally attacked the cheese sandwich. Cedric stole one for himself and ate as well, looking at her suspiciously because of her choice in music.

After they finished eating, Cedric raised a thick brow, "Better?"

Rory nodded, "Much. I could fight a mountain troll." 

Later on, after a lot of catching up with Cedric, Rory reached her common room door, eager to finally be back. The Ravenclaw common room was her favorite place in the whole world, it always smelled like fresh parchment paper, along with something else she couldn't place that smelled ethereal. 

A line of Ravenclaw students stood outside the door of Ravenclaw tower in a single file line waiting to enter. Solving the riddle was fun for the students, but darting in and out of the common room was such a pain if you had forgotten anything or were in a rush. Sometimes people were nice enough and just held the door open between breaks and meal times. 

Right as she reached the open door, a streak of dark brown darted towards her. Within a second, her cat Osbourne was purring and rubbing against her legs. 

Joy filled Rory as she knelt down and stroked his soft fur with her free hand since the other still held her sketchbook, "I missed you, Ozzy." Osbourne meowed in response and looked up at her with his wide blue eyes. 

"My classroom misses you." A ringing voice said, and when she looked up she saw Professor Flitwick and a very awkward looking Michael Corner. 

"I've missed Charms as well sir," Rory said politely, but when she saw Michael's eyes darting around she knew that something was off. 

He smiled nervously at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. Besides, Michael was never one for smiling. He was about the grumpiest teenager she'd ever met.

Flitwick however seemed genuinely happy to see her, but it was rare to see the Ravenclaw head of house not in a good mood. "I am very happy to see you up and about Miss Laurel, but I'm afraid this reunion must be cut short. You are to meet in Professor Dumbledore's office."

Rory froze in place, and Osbourne nuzzled at her hand begging for her attention again. Had she done something? Rory didn't think she was failing in any of her classes, and she was overall a good student. "Oh- of course. Yes, I'll be there later. I must attend to my cat-" 

Professor Flitwick smiled down at her pet, "You're not in trouble Miss Laurel, but I think Osbourne is patient enough to wait." 

She sighed and looked down at her cat, his wide eyes pleading with her to stay. Rory knew very well that Osbourne was a needy creature who constantly begged for attention. She'd have to make up her absence to him with lots of petting and playing. "Alright then."

The walk to Dumbledore's office was awkward. Flitwick led her and Michael while humming softly, but Michael wouldn't make eye contact with Rory. He was still holding his book that he had from earlier, and Rory tried to read the cover but he flipped it over in his arms so that she wouldn't be able to see it. Flitwick mumbled a password to a statue, and Rory felt pale. She knew the statue was of a Griffin, but the uncanny resemblance to a Hippogriff made her feel ill. Care of Magical Creatures was not one of her favorite things, so she dropped it in her third year when Hagrid brought in a Hippogriff. A panic attack ensued so she ran away but ended up taking Muggle Studies as an elective instead.

Osbourne seemed to notice his owner's discomfort and nuzzled his head against her neck. Rory smiled gratefully at the cat.

Within a moment, a staircase twisted in a circular motion and Flitwick gestured for the two students to enter. He, however, did not follow them. 

They made their way up the staircase and Rory took a deep breath when she saw how gorgeous the room was. She had never been inside Dumbledore's office and she marveled at the circular room. There were portraits of past headmasters that made their way all the way up to the tall ceiling and there was what seemed like a warm glow that she could not locate where it came from. 

Rory saw Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, and felt her heart lift up. 

_Harvey would love this,_ she thought to herself. 

The thought was banished immediately when she saw Dumbledore who had a rather stressed out expression on his face. The tall and thinly old man was looking through paperwork on his desk, not even bothering to look up at their entrance. "Good evening Miss Laurel, I apologize for the suddenness of this meeting. I trust you've already accommodated yourself with your friends, yes?"

Rory glanced over at Michael, then considered Cedric Diggory. "Yes, just about all of them." She mumbled sheepishly. While she was well-known at the school, Cedric and Michael were the only ones she really considered her friends anymore. Though there was nothing to be ashamed of, Rory felt rather embarrassed knowing that out of the vast amount of students that attended Hogwarts she only truly befriended two. 

Michael Corner rocked himself back and forwards on his heels, cradling the book in his arms for dear life. His thin frame and medium-length dark hair fell forward onto his face, shielding Rory from making eye contact with him. _Coward._

Albus Dumbledore finally looked up to assess her and Michael and frowned deeply. The awkward tension between them was thick enough to slice with a butter knife. "Mr. Corner has alerted us of something concerning about what happened two days ago before you fainted. Michael, do you care to repeat the words Aurora said?"

Michael finally looked up at Rory and stared at her, trying to communicate something with her with his eyes that she could not decode. "It is time for four to rise to the challenge, but one shall fall. One shall always fall, and that will mark the beginning of the end." He said firmly, desperation seeping through his voice and eyes as if he were hoping this would ring any bell in her mind.

It did not. 

"If I am correct, the number four signifies the four students chosen to enter the Triwizard Tournament." The Hogwarts Headmaster said calmly, before approaching Rory carefully. "However, we have no evidence that this is true, besides Michael Corner's words. He states that this was said before Harry Potter was chosen as a fourth champion. Do you recall stating any of this?"

Rory shook her head. She didn't want to disappoint her friend in making him seem like he came up with some elaborate lie, but Rory truly didn't remember the moments in the great hall. Michael looked disappointed and begun to stare at the floor. "I don't. I'm sorry sir."

"This would also be a very serious claim because it would suggest the death or downfall of one of the students." Dumbledore looked at Michael, and Rory didn't ever think it was possible for her friend to look so small. "Do you have anything to say?"

"I stand by my claim. I know what I heard. Her eyes turned gold and she spoke in words that weren't her own."

"Have events like these occurred before?"

"Yes, they have," A soft and lilted voice said behind them, and Luna Lovegood stood forward, wearing a strange lavender and baby blue dress. Luna smiled at Rory and said a quiet hello as she walked past her and up to the headmaster. "Rory and I were very close for our first two years, and sometimes she would have strange visions or say strange things. I usually took no note of them because people would also say I was strange. She once predicted " Michael sighed in relief when Luna spoke up, probably glad someone could stand up for him. 

Rory felt the confusion settle in through her body. She didn't think anything was weird about her, and she certainly didn't have any visions. Weird dreams and daydreams were common, but nothing stood out enough for her to call them a vision. 

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully and turned away from the three students. "I thought so. It has been quite rare that someone of this magical blood appears. Miss Lovegood and Mister Corner, have you told anyone other than I and your head of house about Miss Laurel's talents?"

_Talents?_

"No sir." They both responded instantly.

What was such a secret about Rory? She felt like everything in her life was an open book. Everyone else seemed to discover her secrets before even she did. "What are you all suggesting?" Rory felt uncomfortable as all three sets of eyes settled on her. Though her friend and former friends gazes were soft and offering sympathy, the Headmaster's serious expression did little to settle her unease. 

"Aurora, it is to my belief that you may have the gifts of a seer. Though this cannot be certain until we have found out about your family history." He glided towards his desk, looking at all the paperwork from earlier. "Your mother's side is French, yes? We don't have a trail of her side of the family"

"Correct." she managed to sputter out, trying to process what was just said. The prospects of her being a seer sounded absolutely insane. Perhaps this was one of her weird dreams?

"Your mother will be coming as soon as she is available today or tomorrow. I assume her schedule with the Ministry is a little rocky, so if needed you will be pardoned from tomorrow's classes." He wrote something down on parchment and sealed it into a letter. " I will also need to discuss with your teachers." He sighed.

Rory began to try to stutter out the word why, but before she could successfully say the word, Dumbledore began speaking again.

"If you _are_ a Seer, you are in great danger. Because of the rarity of your abilities, you may be valuable to those who wish to misuse you. You must be careful at all times." 

Hot anger flew through Rory like a wave. Today hadn't been a good one, waking up to find out her closest friend in the world would be competing in a contest that could get him killed, and then being dragged away from her common room only to have Dumbledore blab on about something she didn't believe in. And on top of that, she was being ignored and interrupted. "I am not an object to _use_ , Headmaster." She practically yelled, "I am a teenage girl, and when you find I don't have these abilities you speak of, I hope you realize you've wasted your time." Everyone in the room was stunned by her words. 

Except for Albus Dumbledore. 

His eyes glimmered mischievously, resembling the sparkle she saw in George and Fred Weasley's eyes. The old man was amused by her outburst, he even seemed to be smiling under that absurdly long beard of his. "You are more like your mother than I thought," He chuckled, shaking his head. "Aurora, I know this is scary. But we are going to do our best to keep you safe." 

"Rory." She said firmly, no longer mad but still a little bothered. "Call me Rory, not Aurora."

"Very well, Rory." He smiled softly, "I'm afraid that's all we have to discuss today. I will speak to you again soon, but I have some business to attend to. You have some loyal friends."

Rory looked at Luna, and felt the anger in her disappear completely. If she was actually mumbling random things to herself and throughout her sleep, Luna had never mentioned it at all. Was she trying to protect her? To make her feel safe? Rory was very aware that people would tease and make fun of Luna, calling her Loony Lovegood and stealing her clothes. Had Luna kept that secret so that Rory would not suffer the same fate? Rory felt mad again, but at herself. If Luna was so selfless enough to worry about Rory's well being-even though she cast Luna aside so easily just to be friends with Cedric Diggory- why couldn't Rory try her best to make up the years loss of friendship with Luna?

Luna Lovegood smiled gently as if sensing Rory's guilt. _It's okay_ , her eyes said.

And then Rory faced Michael Corner. Michael had his own friend group, with Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot, but Michael was quick to Rory's side whenever she needed him. Sure, they bickered like an old married couple, but Michael meant a lot to her. He kept her secrets safe, whether it was her blazing crush on Cedric or her true feelings about her family and the resentment towards her mother. His shaggy dark brown hair fell into his face, and his eyes had developed dark circles underneath. He hadn't slept decently in the past two days and Rory could tell. Michael knew Rory better than she knew herself and had always been there for her. 

"Very loyal," Rory said softly, putting as much adoration into her voice as possible. She really did love these people.

Dumbledore nodded, content with her response. "You'll need to lean on them more often. This is not a burden you need to hold on yourself. You may go now, but you will be summoned later on. You will also begin taking Divination classes in place of Arithmancy, or another class if you'd like."

She swallowed and her throat felt dry, but she bobbed her head in an awkward nod. "Arithmancy is fine." She just wanted to go back to her room. Rory missed her bed. But then again, when did she not?

Luna had left without another word, and Michael took Rory's arm. "Come on, Ror." He said softly, dragging her out of a trance. Rory finally looked at the book Michael held, _Seers: A Guide to Adventures into Mystery_. He had been researching into seers for her sake. Rory felt oddly touched at the notion. The two friends made their way out, but Michael checked to see if she was okay about every two minutes. 

"Is this real?" She asked suddenly, "Or is this another weird dream?"

"This is real. And Dumbledore is right. If you are what we think you are, you're in trouble."

Rory looked down at her boots uncomfortably.

As a girl, she envied the fact that compared to her family she was always insignificant. They were all special or enviable in their own way, and Rory was just a stupid little girl who stumbled from one situation into another. 

Poor little Aurora Laurel, who watched her little brother die. Stupid little Rory, who her parents thought was a squib until she was about 7, when she sneezed and had thrown herself across the room with flowers growing out of her ear, but was unable to do anything properly until her brother's death. Idiotic Rory, who wasn't as smart as her sister or as beautiful as her mother, or as bold as her brother or popular like her dad. Awry Rory who was nice enough to everyone but was hardly able to make _actual_ friends. 

She was nothing. And if Michael and Dumbledore were right, she could actually be something. 


End file.
